Husker Killers: Eric Bieniemy
Eric Bieniemy ruined my 15th birthday. It is a moment that defines part of my football fan existence. Bieniemy's play is a sports ghost I have a hard time vanquishing. His overall success against NU as both player and coach make him a bonafide Husker Killer.
On November 3rd, 1990, my twin brother and I got to go watch our heroes play in Lincoln. It was supposed to be a great birthday. But Bieniemy spoiled it, scoring four straight touchdowns in the fourth quarter to help vanquish the 3rd ranked Huskers, 27 to 12. All four scores came right in front of me, in the end zone in which we were seated on that very cold and rainy day. From that day forward, the answer to the question "Which opposing team player did you like least?" has always been Eric Bieniemy. And, it might always be that way for me.
Against NU, Bieniemy accounted for 159 yards, with 75 of those yards and those four killer touchdowns all in the last stanza. Worse still, the CU surge redeemed Bieniemy who was set to be the goat following a fumble-filled day. Two other factors spoil my memory of that day. First, I got my first taste of how obnoxious CU fans (and football fans in general) can be. Some of the CU folks near us were pretty far over the line. Next, the CU win spoiled the final home game for one of the players BRN admires most. Kenny Walker's senior day ended with a loss. That day, I was an adolescent who discovered that people were not always good and that my heroes can fail. I got sick from being in the freezing rain. It sucked. But, that's between me and my analyst, I guess.
Bieniemy wasn't just tough on the Huskers. He and his crew were equal opportunity soul crushers. I mean, who can forget the "5th Down" game against Missouri? He and his running mate - quarterback Darian Hagan - led CU to a share of the national title, and still serve as a reminder of the high point of Colorado football. Bieniemy was the second leading rusher in the country in 1990, was an All-American performer, and finished third in the Heisman balloting. He is still the Buffs all-time leader in rushing yards, all-purpose yards and touchdowns scored. Nobody except Colorado fans were sad to see Bieniemy leave CU.
After college, Bieniemy was drafted in the second round of the NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers. He played for the Chargers (appearing in a Super Bowl in 1994), Cincinnati Bengals, and the Philadelphia Eagles over the course of 9 seasons. After his pro playing career, he got in to coaching where he would again torment the Huskers. In the time in which he was CU's running backs coach, the Buffs runners carved up the Huskers to the tune of 380 rushing yards (2001's horror show) and 253 yards rushing to help beat NU in Lincoln in 2002. He left CU to be the running backs coach at UCLA. After three season there he recently moved on to being the running backs coach for the NFL's Minnesota Vikings.
I'm glad Bieniemy is away from CU and out of the college game entirely. The further he stays away from the Huskers, the better.
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